More Cuties in Arms
Philadelphia, PA: David McKay Company, 1943. 1st edition. 8vo. Very Good / Very Good. Item #17719
An important piece of WW II-era African-American artistic history with exceptional provenance.
This one-of-a-kind association copy is inscribed by Campbell to close friends Farrow and Miriam Allen on the front end paper -
"To Farrow and Miriam Allen - Two people that supplied me with many a gag in this book----Especially the doctor, From your sincere friend - Elmer - Oct. 27/1943."
Farrow Allen (1898-1985) and his wife were close friends of Campbell, with Farrow being one of the first group of of seven African-American doctors to be admitted to the American College of Surgeons.
"Dr. Allen was born in Chattanooga, Tenn., and graduated from Harvard College in 1923 and from Harvard Medical School in 1926.
Dr. Allen began medical practice in 1928 at Harlem Hospital and eventually became an attending surgeon there.
He became an attending surgeon at Sydenham in 1946." - NY Times
Campbell was the first African-American cartoonist to be published in national magazines, including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, The New Yorker, and many others, and he was commissioned by many advertisers as well, even delving into the occasional pictorial map.
"Campbell created his "Harem Girls", a series of watercolor cartoons that attracted attention in the first issue of Esquire, debuting in 1933. Campbell's artwork was in almost every issue of Esquire from 1933 to 1958 and he was the creator of its continuing mascot, "Esky" the cartoon character in a silk top hat." - wiki
'Cuties' was Campbell's gag panel, distributed to 145 newspapers across the country. This work combines his two Cuties in Arms collections from 1941 and 1943.
Illustrated boards to match dust jacket. Inscribed by Campbell on the front end paper. Square tight binding. Clean interior. Comic panels in duo-tone, with some blue over black and the others yellow over black. Unpaginated. Boards lightly rubbed with mild edge wear, including a bump to upper fore edge corner.
Dust jacket with mild rubbing and edge wear, including small chips to spine ends. Presents handsomely in archival mylar.
Price: $250.00